1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention relates to patient transport apparatus having adjustable leg and backrest portions.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Multi-purpose chair/stretcher assemblies are well known to the art. Such assemblies provide great versatility in that they can be used as wheelchairs, lounge chairs and stretchers. A patient can be moved quickly and safely from sitting to supine positions and vice versa. A number of such chairs include linkage assemblies which allow the leg and backrest portions to be moved simultaneously. While undergoing such movement, the leg and backrest portions are maintained substantially parallel to each other until they reach the supine position, where they are coplanar.
It is often desirable to orient the leg and backrest portions at various positions which are not necessarily parallel to each other. Some hospital beds and other such structures allow the leg and backrest portions to be positioned independently so that virtually any position is obtainable, Most of these structures operate hydraulically and do not depend upon the operation of a linkage assembly to position the seat and backrest portions in a predetermined relation to each other.